2 El Paso lawyers named US magistrate judges

Two El Paso lawyers will take their seats on the federal bench for the first time next month after being named U.S. magistrate judges.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Phil Martinez announced that lawyer Miguel A. Torres, 43, and federal public defender Anne T. Berton, 48, will replace, respectively, U.S. Magistrate Judges Richard P. Mesa and David Guaderrama. Mesa is retiring, and Guaderrama is now a U.S. district judge.

Berton will be sworn in Friday and start Monday, and Torres will take his oath in late December and begin Jan. 1, taking over for Mesa.

Mesa's final day will be Dec. 31.

The appointments were made after recommendations from the legal community were sent to the five U.S. district judges in El Paso. About eight people were interviewed, and Torres and Berton were named the finalists. Their names were given to the FBI for background checks and finally voted on by the judges in the Western District of Texas for approval.

"I'm extremely excited about serving in this position," Berton said. "It's just such an honor and a privilege, and I'm so honored with the confidence that the court has shown in me."

Berton, a 1982 Bel Air High School graduate, has worked with the federal public defender's office for more than 14 years.

She had previously worked at the El Paso County public defender's office.

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Before attending law school at Texas Tech University, Berton graduated from West Point Academy in 1986 and served in the Army for five years.

After serving in the military, Berton said, she decided to study law to help others.

"I wanted to help other people and I thought that becoming a lawyer was a way of doing that," Berton said. "I wanted to continue serving others as I had in the Army."

Torres, a 1987 Canutillo High School graduate, has been a lawyer in the region for more than 10 years.

"I am very honored by the confidence that the federal district judges of the Western Division have in me, and I'm looking forward to this opportunity to serve as a U.S. magistrate judge," Torres said. "I can tell you that I'm happy to serve the public in this position. It's an important job, and I'm going to do my very best and give it my best effort."

Torres received his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995 and was admitted into the Texas State Bar in 1996.

After working as an associate for the San Antonio law firm of Wells, Pinckney and McHugh P.C. from 1995 to 1997, he moved back to El Paso, where he worked as an assistant public defender for about five years.

In 2002, Torres established his own practice.

"Both are exceptional lawyers, exceptionally well qualified," Martinez said. "We're delighted to welcome them, and we're grateful for their desire to serve in a different capacity. (And) hope that they'll continue to work for us as magistrate judges for many, many good years."

Alex Hinojosa may be reached at ahinojosa@elpasotimes.com; 546-6137.Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117.

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